Auxiliary sparking unit for spark-plugs



l VN-ITED, STATES PATENT ol=,l-`llCE-"f n lWann., or" oaMpEN, NEW JERSEY, "AssIGNoR To 4WADE MANACTURING 'y COMPANY, ,OEQAMDEM NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION or NEW JERSEY.;

. To all whom t may concern.:

I AUXILIARY SPARKINGUN'IT Foa SPARK-,Pross f Be it knownv that I, F RANK E: WADE, a

citizen of the. United' States' residing at Camden, in thecounty of Camden and AState of'NeW Jersey, 'have invented ce'rtain` new and' useful Improvements in Ian Auxiliary ,Sparking-Unit for Spark-Plugs, of which the following is a specification.

f This 'invention relates to t-li`e`subject of sparking devices for internal combustion' engines and has particular reference to a ynovel improvement in spark plugs- 'the motorist but is also likely to causeother "As is Well knownv thefouling of the sparking-te`rminals byoil or carbon soot causes the'iinproper functioning ofthe spark plug which is Lnot only a source of annoyance to lengine troubles. Various expedients have been heretofore proposed for protecting the "'20 vsparking terminals, andv also providing means for cleaning-the same or preventing 'the accumulation of *foreign 'substances "which interfere with`the formationloftlie Qpropler spark.' These devices however are more or less, complicated and expensive to "build, and in 'many instancesV involve parts which are relatively frail and frequently be-A l" come deranged o r damaged rendering the entire plug inoperative and worthless.'

Accordingly, the present invention has `fprimarily'in view the provision ofnovel -meansv for creating or 'producing an 'e'X- Gtremely hotk spark which acts with an oxidiz- ',ing'eil'ect, and to this end has in View a deasf vi'ce in 'theform of an attachment adapted to be fitted'to any' spark plug 'and greatly in# tensify the, spark, n' thereby automatically ykeeping the spa'rkiiiglpoints fr'ee from oil and carbon deposits, "and maintaining the efficiency ofthe plug under' all conditions of-use.-

v A further object in addition to the foregoingfgeneral obfjject is ,to provide a device which issimple and easily manufactured,

and when applied to a spark plug of st,a`n'd v 'ard type, lwill provide an .auxiliary sparking chamber in open communication with` the 1xr atmosphere, whereby 'the' current supplied ltothe plug willbe compelledtojump a preliminary air 1 gap in'an` inclosed ,chamber iny order to make its way to the, central conductor rodof'the plug, thereby greatly in' vtensifyingthe current supplied to the usual Y sparking elements andproviding inl effect a' responding v .Specification ofLetters Eartent. y Patented 18, Application'*filed January 29, y1920. Serial No. 355,004. 'i

-of the invention is better understood, the

same consists in the novel construction, coinbinationv and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated and claimed. i

yA preferred and practical embodiment ofl the invention is shownl in drawings, in which: i

Figure l is an elevation of a spark plug having my improved attachment applied thereto. 'a

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectionalview thereof. Fig. 8 is a detail perspective view ofthe holding cap for the sparking unit." l

Similar reference numerals designate cor-A g parts throughout the several figures of the drawings. 'l l l the accompanying f In carrying the invention into effect it is intended to provide a'devicewhich is susceptible of embodimentin 'a form that may be readilyfitted to standard types of spark plugs,`in a simple and expeditious manner. Accordingly, as ,willbe observed from the drawing the reference l designates lthe body of a spark plug having the usual 'eXteriorly threaded attaching portion' or shell 2 at one end while the upperv end receives the usual gland nut 3 for holding the porcelain sleeve 4 in place.I The said porcelain sleeve 4c carf ries therewith a' central conductor rod 5 of the standard design and provided 1with the Isparking end 6 that may be so idisposedwith reference to the portion 2 of the body of the plug that the spark gap is formed directly between the end of the conductor rod andthe body itself without the necessity of utilizing a separate sparking terminal on theshell. It has been found in practice that the spark passing between the end of the conductory rod 6 and the screw shell'is of suoli ymagi'iitude that no separate sparking terminalis required forv the best results., Thus, in this respect the invention lsimpliiies thel plugby A omitting the lusual body-carried sparking..

rterminal whiclieliminatesI the possibility ofi l'fouling from thisso'urce. p v v4The 'novel auxiliary sparking `unit which contitutes the distinctivefeature of the present invention is designated'generally 'as A.

and 'includes in' its organization, the anchoring or attaching cap previously referred to and shown in detail in Fig. 3. This `cap is i designated as v6 and is exteriorly threaded as at T while its top portion 8 is provided with the threaded opening 9 for receiving the censurface for telescopically receiving the in- A sulating hood 11 of the sparking device "iwhi'chcarries an independent binding nut.

and terminal element at its closed end, and

bv reason of the relatively wide bearing it'.

aifords prevents canting of thelsleeve with reference to the` porcelain.

The said hood 11 is interiorly threaded as at 12 to engage with the threads 7 of the cap G and is of relatively long` tubular formation to conceal and entirely7 house the porcelain insulator of the plug. The i, iper end 13 of the cage or hood is closed to providea supporting wall for the conductor element 1l which receives the lock nut- 15 i' and binding nut 16 exteriorly of the hood wliile the portion of said conductor which projects within the hood constitutes a sparking terminal 17 for coperatingwith the exposed end 18 'of the conductor rod When the insulating hood 11 is applied to the cap 6 a sparking chamber C is provided fbetween the upper end of the cap and the Y f end wall 13 of the hood. and as will be observed from the drawings thel said sparking 'chamber C is in directcommunication with the atmosphere through the ports or open- -ings 19 which arevpreferably formed radially through the side wall of the hood,

at a point somewhat above the line of the gap formed between the terminals 17 and' 18 to prevent escape of the spark from the cage andy thereby meet underwriters re l'q'uirements from a safety standpoint.A

yTo prevent sparking between 'the cap 6 and the. metallic portion of the body, a

washer :20 of suitable insulating material of leather or equivalent material is interposed between the lower end of the hood and the glandnut 3. Thus leakage of current is effectively prevented along the sides of the conductor to the body o'f the plug.

' In practice the auxiliary sparking unit isfitted to the spark plug by first placingv the washer 20 in position and then applying they cap 6 to the porcelain of the plug, After Athe cap is secured by nut 10 the hood may *be* telescoped over the cap 6 and porcelain i so as'to4 bringjthe terminal 17 of the hood in proper relation to the upper end 18 of the'conductor post 'I' The 'teimiiillil may be of course adjusted with reference to the terminal 18 toprovide aproper spark-gap, but for certain types of .plugsthe original setting of the terminal 1T will be suliicient since theterrninal will be originally set t0 meet the standard requirements of the particular type of plug.

When current is supplied to the binding nut l-l in the operation of the engine, it will of course havel to jump the spark gap formed between the terminals `17 and18` in the chamber Cj which isv in coinmuiiifcfation with the air, vandthe effect! offthe` spark formed between the ysaid terminals'fi's to supply a current which `l1asfleri stepped'up or transformed to a-greater 1potential or magnitude when it reaches the conductorl rod, 5, and the result, when the 'current makes its way from the end 6 of the rod directly to.v

the body or shell 2; is a greatly "intensified"- spark within the combustion vchamber'ofthe engine. The temperature ofltlrisl spark'n is raised such a degree that"it"willjburn or oxidize the accumulation' of (L-,arbeit which would tend to collect or accuniulatejjonth sparks and shell and thereby' insure ,thejir- `ing of the 'gaseous chargewithin the cylinder where it would otherwise remainunexploded by reason of Ithe failure o spark due to carbon or oill deposit.

From the foregoingl it will be apparent that the present invention provides 'a novel auxiliary sparking unitfwhi'c'li 'fulfils' all. of the objects heretofore 'set forth, andit1 is believed that the constructit'm',operationand" advantages of the improvement will 5be readily apparent to those skilled in'theijart without further description. ""f" I claim: A i

1. A sparking unit for cluding in combination "with the central conductor and the insulator surroundingfthe.

same, a tubular hood closed at onehend4 and open at the other to thereby Atelesc'opically fit over the insulator, a wir'e`binding termie nal carried by the hood, and a metallic mmber engaging with the hood and conduct-or rod t0 prevent displacement of 'the` 'hoods4 Q '.A sparking unit for sparki fpl'ugs,in cluding in combination' 'with the central coriductor and the insulator surrounding=-the same,'a tubular hood closed aboneend and open at the other to thereby -telescopically fit over the insulatorand-havingairp'orts, a wire binding terminal-carried bylthehood, and interior means for holding the hood-0n the insulator consisting ofy a memberfhaving its periphery engagingvwith the-lood and provided with a clentralfopeningfor -ieceivmg the conductor rod to therebyhold the hood on the insulator. r:'

3. A sparking VunitI for: spark yplugsq'including in combinationwith the insulator and central conductor rod', a tubular .insulatspark' plugs, in#l rois' meme@ B ing member eaped. to eeseopoely Ei, provided with a central opening for recev- 10 over an house the enzire nsulatoi', of the ngi-,he central conductor rod.

plu 1", e wire tei-mind ceriled by said tubular n testimony whereof I hereunto ax my melber and adapted to cooperate with the signature in the presence of two Witnesses. een Heizer rod 'to fo'm en auxay spark y gap, and an elemem for locking ehe tubular FRANIX E WADE' member to the conductor rod, Seid element v Witnesses:

having its peripheral edge portion engaging EMORY L. GROFF,

with the interior of the embalar member :md E. N. TOMPKINS. 

